February 18, 2025 • 9 mins
Controversial Wellington lobby group Vision for Wellington is hosting an event tonight with one of the world's most successful filmmakers - James Cameron.
The group aims to advocate for Wellington's future - but what actually is the group's vision?
Also, why are Wellington motorcyclists upset over a council decision?
NZ Herald Wellington issues reporter Georgina Campbell joined Nick Mills for the Capital Letter.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk SEDB taking the pulse of the city.
The Capital Letter on news Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Joining us for her regular Capital Letter slot is New
Zealand Heer and Wellington's Issues reported Georgina Campbell, Good morning, George.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Good morning Nick.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
How are you.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I'm good?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Great great weather we'd be having, which I'm sitting here
talking about the weather.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's a bit gloomy, isn't it? Rain?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I need today? I mean, we've had some marvelous weather. Now,
let's talk about some very unhappy motorcyclists in Wellington. I mean,
are they very that?
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Really? That?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
How unhappy? Paying a dollar? I mean a dollar.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
It's a very interesting debate that is going on. So basically,
Wellington City Council is proposing to charge one dollar per
hour for motorcycle parking. At the moment it's free. And
some of the submissions from motorcyclists have been published online
by the council and I had to read of the
submissions and motorcyclists are pretty scathing. They're furious actually about
(01:10):
this proposal, and they have a lot of reasons. One
of the main ones that came across is that most
of them commute, like you know, like so there they're
parking for the whole day, which is like eight or
nine dollars, which is quite you know, reasonably expensive, Like
that would change your expenses if you were doing that
every day. You know, Wellington City Council has made the
(01:31):
argument that you know, it'll free out more motorcycle parks,
increase turnover and that sort of thing. But motorcycles are
like well not w own because many people were just
commuting and parking there for the whole day. Anyway, there
was some quite strong language, you know. Somebody said that
the council is slowly killing Wellington and sort of took
the opportunity to have a greatest swing at the council,
(01:54):
saying rates are out of control, many parts are under
construction and multiple projects on the go at the same time,
road closures and traffic disruptions across the city. That this
one dollar fee is going to detract even more people
from going into Somebody said I think that it was
killing the already dead city.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I saw that one.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
But you know, they also make the argument like motorcycles
are smaller, they don't you know, contribute to emissions as
much as like big cars, and so they thought, you know,
for a council that wants to be encouraging like alternative
ways of getting into the city that isn't in a car,
(02:34):
you know, charging charging them isn't really good.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Forty bucks a week is quite a bit, really, isn't it.
I mean, if you're riding a bike door, I didn't
really I thought it was a dollar just for each
time you parked, your.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Dollar an hour. So a lot of them said, look,
we could be okay with it if you kept it
at five dollars, so like you know, a dollar an hour,
but as soon as you go over five hours, if
you're parking there for the day, then it's just a
mix number of five dollars. They said, that could be
the right max. So we'll see what the council decides, Okay.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
One of Willington's advocacy groups has roped in James Cameron.
I mean, uh, Ethan and I were talking about this
morning this morning. I mean, he's Stephen Spielberg, isn't he.
I mean, you know there's there's James Cameron, Stephen Spielberg,
and Sir Peter Jackson. I mean, you know, for movie producers.
You don't get much bigger than James Cameron. And he's
(03:24):
coming to talk, I mean tell us about it.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Yeah, I mean, James Cameron is a big deal, like
Avatar Titanic. I watched Terminator for the first time on Monday,
loved it. Didn't realize he directed it.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
I was in love with her for years after terminating
the girl with that muscle when she grabbed that stuff
and you know she hed all the muscles. Amazing, great movie.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
It was a great film.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I wasn't in love with Ardold, so you looked at
me strangely. What I said.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
He James Cameron is a big deal. And so vision
for Wellington has got him along to the inaugural panel
discussion that is being held tonight to kind of talk
about people's aspirations for the city. You know, what's wrong,
what can we do better? That sort of thing. So yeah,
and he also like he seems very invested in Wellington.
(04:12):
There was a press release I was reading where he
was quoted where you know, he said, I could live
anywhere in the world, but my family and I choose
this city, he said, you know, at that time, said
he'll be in New Zealand citizens soon and that he
wants the best for the city and is you know,
rolling up his sleeves and mucking in. So look, I
don't are you going.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Firstly, I'm not.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I can't go actually, but your producer is going.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I know. Well, I said, I said, look, you've got
to go. I can't possibly go, but you've got to go.
So I said to him, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, Unfortunately I have another engagement that I need to keep,
otherwise I would be there. And I look, I don't
think it's a bad thing, this aspiration for people, you know,
to get together and talk constructively about the city. But
I think what does kind of bug me a little
bit is that, you know, we can talk as much
as we like, but the Council does remain the end
(05:04):
point four decisions that are made on behalf of the
city using our money. It's far easy, easier, sorry to
hold a talk about a vision than to actually translate
those aspirations into policies that can be then shepherded through
an organization like the Council, which is like, you know, amaze.
(05:25):
So I just and you know, like the jury is
still out, I mean in terms of what vision for
Wellington is actually going to produce. But I think it
needs to be more than just polling in talks, and
you know, it's a local body election year. We need
some policies that are actually achievable, not not you know,
things like like Torri Faro's policies last time around were
(05:48):
really attached to central government policies and then the government
changed and they got rid of all those and then
she's like, oh, I can't deliver any of those things
anymore because that was always a central government thing, like
light rail, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Well, I was speaking to one of the Visions people
the other day and I asked them, I mean, I said,
who are you going to put up? As they just
no idea. They're not saying any they're not putting up anyone.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Well, I mean, technically they are not a political group,
that's so they say. So you know, if they did
put up a meural candidate, then that would kind of
go against what I understand. Well, they're not a sort
of a founding thing.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
So yeah, so are they going to do any good?
We'll find out this afternoon. Ethan will be able to
report back tomorrow and he might probably be able to
jack up an interview with James Cameron for the show tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I just did no apprecia, no appreciate.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Excuse me, mister Cameron, But do you think this is
possible if you're talking to the people of wanting them,
you want to go on the number one show and
willing to know it anyway? What do you make of
the Golden Mine announcement last week? Is it more hot
air and no action or is it action? What do
you make of it?
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Well, the one thing that struck me I went to
the press conference. I know Cory Fanos says in April
there will be spades in the ground. And she says
the contract has been signed. Okay, okay. So if you
hear somebody saying the contract has been signed, and you're
at a press conference where you're discussing the new plan
for the Golden mir being the whole stretch of Courtney Place,
(07:10):
you would assume that the contract has been signed for
the whole thing, right, Well, no, it hasn't. It's only
been signed for an intersection. And I think you know
it's risk It's on risky ground here because this is
Tory Faro's legacy project. Now I think, like other things
have failed, the airport she's sailed reading cinema. Deal like
this would deliver on a lot of her campaign promises.
(07:32):
But the contract is not signed. As I just said,
local body elections are Is.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
It signed for the intersection?
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah, but only the end, but one intersection.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Tory fan Did I call it the Tory Fano intersection?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Yeah? It did, irk me, Nick, because I thought, you know,
like I mean, I guess that's why we have journalists
to ask questions so we can get to the truth.
But I thought they could have been a bit more
upfront about that and.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
The whole secrecy of the thing and not been able
to bring it out, not to be announced to five
o'clock this morning, all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
But then to announce it and not even have the
contract signed. I mean, yeah, I was. I was not impressed,
to say the least.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Was it I'm going to ask was it handled professionally?
Do you think they're onto it? Do you think they
know what they're doing or do you think it's just
ad hoc and we'll get this part done and then
we'll worry about it.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
No.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
I really do respect a lot of the council officers
who have worked on the project, were there at the
press conference, and I respect the hard work that they
have done. But the problem is is that it's a
very politically charged year and all of that hard work
that they have done could be, you know, just thrown
in the trash if we get a new mayor who's
(08:42):
not on board with the Golden Mile and the contract
for the work is not signed yet, which could be
a reality, which is a possibility. It's yeah, it's never
guaranteed that someone's going to get a second term.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
The more the worst thing is that they could actually
just sign a contract in pace than the next. If
there is a next mayor, they come in and have
to unravel it or go with it. That's probably the
bigger problem.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Yeah, I think if the contract is signed, it's pretty
difficult too. I'm sign yeah, to go back on that.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
I wonder with that, to make difference Georgina Campbell, thank
you very much. I wondered that to make a difference
for people that want to stand if they knew that country,
because of that country signed, you know, they they might
as well be Tories women laptop really even if they
get in or don't get in.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Yeah, I think it's definitely an election issue.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, definitely, Thanks very much. Georgina Campbell, Wellington's issues reporter.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk SEDB taking the pulse of the city.
The Capital Letter on news Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Joining us for her regular Capital Letter slot is New
Zealand Heer and Wellington's Issues reported Georgina Campbell, Good morning, George.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Good morning Nick.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
How are you.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I'm good?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Great great weather we'd be having, which I'm sitting here
talking about the weather.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's a bit gloomy, isn't it? Rain?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I need today? I mean, we've had some marvelous weather. Now,
let's talk about some very unhappy motorcyclists in Wellington. I mean,
are they very that?
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Really? That?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
How unhappy? Paying a dollar? I mean a dollar.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
It's a very interesting debate that is going on. So basically,
Wellington City Council is proposing to charge one dollar per
hour for motorcycle parking. At the moment it's free. And
some of the submissions from motorcyclists have been published online
by the council and I had to read of the
submissions and motorcyclists are pretty scathing. They're furious actually about
(01:10):
this proposal, and they have a lot of reasons. One
of the main ones that came across is that most
of them commute, like you know, like so there they're
parking for the whole day, which is like eight or
nine dollars, which is quite you know, reasonably expensive, Like
that would change your expenses if you were doing that
every day. You know, Wellington City Council has made the
(01:31):
argument that you know, it'll free out more motorcycle parks,
increase turnover and that sort of thing. But motorcycles are
like well not w own because many people were just
commuting and parking there for the whole day. Anyway, there
was some quite strong language, you know. Somebody said that
the council is slowly killing Wellington and sort of took
the opportunity to have a greatest swing at the council,
(01:54):
saying rates are out of control, many parts are under
construction and multiple projects on the go at the same time,
road closures and traffic disruptions across the city. That this
one dollar fee is going to detract even more people
from going into Somebody said I think that it was
killing the already dead city.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I saw that one.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
But you know, they also make the argument like motorcycles
are smaller, they don't you know, contribute to emissions as
much as like big cars, and so they thought, you know,
for a council that wants to be encouraging like alternative
ways of getting into the city that isn't in a car,
(02:34):
you know, charging charging them isn't really good.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Forty bucks a week is quite a bit, really, isn't it.
I mean, if you're riding a bike door, I didn't
really I thought it was a dollar just for each
time you parked, your.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Dollar an hour. So a lot of them said, look,
we could be okay with it if you kept it
at five dollars, so like you know, a dollar an hour,
but as soon as you go over five hours, if
you're parking there for the day, then it's just a
mix number of five dollars. They said, that could be
the right max. So we'll see what the council decides, Okay.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
One of Willington's advocacy groups has roped in James Cameron.
I mean, uh, Ethan and I were talking about this
morning this morning. I mean, he's Stephen Spielberg, isn't he.
I mean, you know there's there's James Cameron, Stephen Spielberg,
and Sir Peter Jackson. I mean, you know, for movie producers.
You don't get much bigger than James Cameron. And he's
(03:24):
coming to talk, I mean tell us about it.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Yeah, I mean, James Cameron is a big deal, like
Avatar Titanic. I watched Terminator for the first time on Monday,
loved it. Didn't realize he directed it.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
I was in love with her for years after terminating
the girl with that muscle when she grabbed that stuff
and you know she hed all the muscles. Amazing, great movie.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
It was a great film.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I wasn't in love with Ardold, so you looked at
me strangely. What I said.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
He James Cameron is a big deal. And so vision
for Wellington has got him along to the inaugural panel
discussion that is being held tonight to kind of talk
about people's aspirations for the city. You know, what's wrong,
what can we do better? That sort of thing. So yeah,
and he also like he seems very invested in Wellington.
(04:12):
There was a press release I was reading where he
was quoted where you know, he said, I could live
anywhere in the world, but my family and I choose
this city, he said, you know, at that time, said
he'll be in New Zealand citizens soon and that he
wants the best for the city and is you know,
rolling up his sleeves and mucking in. So look, I
don't are you going.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Firstly, I'm not.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I can't go actually, but your producer is going.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I know. Well, I said, I said, look, you've got
to go. I can't possibly go, but you've got to go.
So I said to him, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, Unfortunately I have another engagement that I need to keep,
otherwise I would be there. And I look, I don't
think it's a bad thing, this aspiration for people, you know,
to get together and talk constructively about the city. But
I think what does kind of bug me a little
bit is that, you know, we can talk as much
as we like, but the Council does remain the end
(05:04):
point four decisions that are made on behalf of the
city using our money. It's far easy, easier, sorry to
hold a talk about a vision than to actually translate
those aspirations into policies that can be then shepherded through
an organization like the Council, which is like, you know, amaze.
(05:25):
So I just and you know, like the jury is
still out, I mean in terms of what vision for
Wellington is actually going to produce. But I think it
needs to be more than just polling in talks, and
you know, it's a local body election year. We need
some policies that are actually achievable, not not you know,
things like like Torri Faro's policies last time around were
(05:48):
really attached to central government policies and then the government
changed and they got rid of all those and then
she's like, oh, I can't deliver any of those things
anymore because that was always a central government thing, like
light rail, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Well, I was speaking to one of the Visions people
the other day and I asked them, I mean, I said,
who are you going to put up? As they just
no idea. They're not saying any they're not putting up anyone.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Well, I mean, technically they are not a political group,
that's so they say. So you know, if they did
put up a meural candidate, then that would kind of
go against what I understand. Well, they're not a sort
of a founding thing.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
So yeah, so are they going to do any good?
We'll find out this afternoon. Ethan will be able to
report back tomorrow and he might probably be able to
jack up an interview with James Cameron for the show tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I just did no apprecia, no appreciate.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Excuse me, mister Cameron, But do you think this is
possible if you're talking to the people of wanting them,
you want to go on the number one show and
willing to know it anyway? What do you make of
the Golden Mine announcement last week? Is it more hot
air and no action or is it action? What do
you make of it?
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Well, the one thing that struck me I went to
the press conference. I know Cory Fanos says in April
there will be spades in the ground. And she says
the contract has been signed. Okay, okay. So if you
hear somebody saying the contract has been signed, and you're
at a press conference where you're discussing the new plan
for the Golden mir being the whole stretch of Courtney Place,
(07:10):
you would assume that the contract has been signed for
the whole thing, right, Well, no, it hasn't. It's only
been signed for an intersection. And I think you know
it's risk It's on risky ground here because this is
Tory Faro's legacy project. Now I think, like other things
have failed, the airport she's sailed reading cinema. Deal like
this would deliver on a lot of her campaign promises.
(07:32):
But the contract is not signed. As I just said,
local body elections are Is.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
It signed for the intersection?
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah, but only the end, but one intersection.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Tory fan Did I call it the Tory Fano intersection?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Yeah? It did, irk me, Nick, because I thought, you know,
like I mean, I guess that's why we have journalists
to ask questions so we can get to the truth.
But I thought they could have been a bit more
upfront about that and.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
The whole secrecy of the thing and not been able
to bring it out, not to be announced to five
o'clock this morning, all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
But then to announce it and not even have the
contract signed. I mean, yeah, I was. I was not impressed,
to say the least.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Was it I'm going to ask was it handled professionally?
Do you think they're onto it? Do you think they
know what they're doing or do you think it's just
ad hoc and we'll get this part done and then
we'll worry about it.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
No.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
I really do respect a lot of the council officers
who have worked on the project, were there at the
press conference, and I respect the hard work that they
have done. But the problem is is that it's a
very politically charged year and all of that hard work
that they have done could be, you know, just thrown
in the trash if we get a new mayor who's
(08:42):
not on board with the Golden Mile and the contract
for the work is not signed yet, which could be
a reality, which is a possibility. It's yeah, it's never
guaranteed that someone's going to get a second term.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
The more the worst thing is that they could actually
just sign a contract in pace than the next. If
there is a next mayor, they come in and have
to unravel it or go with it. That's probably the
bigger problem.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Yeah, I think if the contract is signed, it's pretty
difficult too. I'm sign yeah, to go back on that.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
I wonder with that, to make difference Georgina Campbell, thank
you very much. I wondered that to make a difference
for people that want to stand if they knew that country,
because of that country signed, you know, they they might
as well be Tories women laptop really even if they
get in or don't get in.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Yeah, I think it's definitely an election issue.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, definitely, Thanks very much. Georgina Campbell, Wellington's issues reporter.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.